In center of night many shadows and souls around the radiant stone at center of the flower field. In the dim light, the stone blinked like a heartbeat. If one stood close enough, they could hear the sound of waves.
“GRONK! Gronk, Gronk, why did the monkey turn into a ball again?” Black Boar asked.
“Flower, Flower?” the girl in black attire said.
“GRooonnky, huh? Sad? Men can’t be sad!” Black Boar exclaimed, poking the stone with its tusk. “Who made you like this? Tell me, monkey. I will beat them up quickly.”
Not far from them, a big man with a bulky frame sat on a log. His hand had a big wooden cup of ale. “Hahahaha, wife, have you seen that? He even has a pig as a friend,” the man named Radnor chuckled. “Maybe I can do it too. Invite him to taste my brew. For the first time in history, a brew guaranteed by a pig—”
Bonk! The woman hammered his head with her hand. “Don’t disrespect it. That great boar is far stronger than you, drunkhead,” Madam Iva scolded.
Twain, Throy, and the old drunker group laughed out loud, clutching their bellies.
Sir Damacus sat alone in a field of flowers. He only had one arm, his gaze fixed on the rock in front of him. “If I had believed you at first... things would not have turned out like this.”
Thod! Thod! A black panther walked up to him and looked at his master, then buried its head in his arm and laid down, resting its head on his lap.
Damacus faintly smiled as his right arm slowly returned and he rubbed the panther’s head. “Black Star... I missed you too.”
A group of children ran and played in the flower field. The girls collected flowers while the boys searched for pretty stones. Some of them rolled on the ground, making flower petals fly.
From afar, a group of men and women with prison tattoos stood still, gazing at the moonstone in front of them. One of them, with a blade cut on his chest, spoke, “Rock Zero three... We trust in you.”
Many monsters and people chatted as if it were a homecoming event. Some brought their favorite foods and tools to show their friends, laughing and boasting about their happy lives. But amidst the joy, there was also a group of people dressed in black, carrying their sorrows, tears, and pain.
“Why? Why is my life so desperate like this?” a woman with no hand and deeply frostbitten arm, her thin body revealing her prominent clavicle, asked. “I’m so hungry... At least give me something to eat before I die.” She tried to bite her own arm, but it was too hard. Dry tears fell from her eyes. “My life is so desperate—”
Suddenly, a loaf of bread appeared in front of her. A sweet voice said, “Miss, are you hungry, right?”
She looked and followed the voice. There, she saw a young, pretty girl with a blue ribbon. The girl was holding a bucket full of goods. The woman could not resist the smell and nodded swiftly.
Ria smiled and said, “I will tear the bread for you, okay?” She tore it into tiny pieces for easy consumption and gave it to the woman. With the bread in her mouth, the woman felt warmth and the taste of life, causing tears to fall down her cheeks.
Ria touched the woman’s arm and a warm light shone, slowly healing her frostbite and her hands began to grow back. “Miss, please eat slowly and let your body heal from the inside,” Ria advised, giving the woman another portion of bread.
The woman nodded and said, “T-Thank you, thank you so much.”
Ria smiled as her and stood up, looking towards the stone center. “Brother...” Then she continued her search for other shadow sorrowed people.
“Iva, do you know why we are here?” Radnor asked, rubbing the bump on his head as if it would help him regain his senses.
“I do not know, husband. Everyone here seems to be the same,” Iva replied.
“Um, they are all acquaintances of that child,” Radnor said.
“Yes, all of them linked with him,” Iva agreed, gazing at a flower in the field and picking one. “It’s as if... it’s alive,” Madam Iva smiled.
Big Guy noticed his wife’s smile and asked, “Wife, are you thinking of something? Has something good happened?”
“Yes, it’s good. If I’m guessing correctly... such a harden mouth kid,” Iva said.
“What?” Radnor said. “Please, tell me, wife. I know you have many secrets that you cannot share, but this time, please.”
Iva looked at Radnor and showed him a sweet smile.
Radnor tilted his head and asked, “What?”
Iva softly said, “I love you, Radnor.”
Her voice was low, but he heard it clearly. His face flushed red, even redder than after consuming any ale. He clenched his fist and said, “I love—”
Iva hugged Radnor and said, “Ah, so warm. You will always have me, okay? Don’t be sad. Send her off with a happy face, alright?”
“Yes, yes, my dear wife, I will do whatever you want,” Radnor awkwardly hugged her back.
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Suddenly, all the lights went off, but a thread of life spread and connected everyone. A flower appeared, representing each person’s life.
Madam Iva had a white flower, Radnor had a yellow one, Twain and Thory had red and blue flowers, and they playfully teased each other. The kids were amazed and shared their flowers, while the boar and python happily displayed their pink and blue flowers.
Only Ria stood alone without a flower, gazing at a stone with dull eyes. “Brother…” Tears brimmed in her eyes as her vision became blurry.
Thud, thud, thud, someone approached her. A hoarse voice called out, “Little lady.” The woman who had been frozen before now returned with a healthy body and called her. “A flower… I give to you.” She placed it in Ria’s basket.
Ria spoke with a trembling voice, “Thank you...”
“Sister Ivara, I have flowers for you,” Twain and Throy placed flowers in her hand.
“Brother Twain, brother Throy, thank you.”
“Me too.” “Lucus, let me give her one too, I also like sister Ivara.” “Oui~ Kids, make way for the older people, go first.” “Little Vara, Auntie loves you, be strong, okay?” “Gronk! Gronk!” “Flower.” “Bark!” “Oui~ Oui~ Animal gang, please line up.” “Kid, I’m sorry.” “Don’t be sad, Ivara.” “You are Ria, right?” “Thank you, priestess.” “Flower! Rain!” “Gronk!” “Little Vara, Father loves you.”
Everyone walked up to Ria and gave her flowers, a light connection woven into a circle shape.
“Thank you...” Ria said with a trembling voice.
The last person to approach was Madam Iva. “Vara,” she said and spread her arms.
“Mother!” Ria rushed to hug her mother. Madam Iva softly caressed her daughter’s hair.
“It’s okay, don’t be this sad, okay?” Madam said.
“Mother... Why me?” Ria asked.
Iva smiled as she patted her child. “You know, Vara, He has a special place inside his heart. I doubted it at first. Why would he be in that small town when he could freely roam with his special status? I thought it was his mission to collect codex-stones or destroy the black cultists, but I was mistaken. Vara, do you remember when he first met you?”
The picture flashed, revealing a peculiar sigh, a weird man dressed in a suit made of wooden bark, gazing at her with wide eyes. All of his belongings fell to the floor as tears brimmed in his face. He tilted his head and smiled at her.
“Um,” Ria hugged her mother tighter.
“Yes, I was amazed too. He smiled with tears, so relieved when he saw you. It was as if he had been searching for you for a long time. His actions became complicated when it came to anything concerning you. He reached out his hand and pulled it back many times. You also felt it, right? That he truly cares for you.” Ria nodded.
Ria nodded.
Madam gently pressed against Ria’s body, allowing her to have a clear view of her daughter’s face. She tenderly touched and wiped away Ria’s tear. “I love you, Vara. Thank you for being our daughter. Your kindness and tenderness embrace us all. Don’t worry about us. He needs you the most. Only you can awaken him and bring back his smile.”
Ria reached out and touched her mother’s hand, then closed her eyes. “Mother, I love you. I mean, I really think you as my actual mother,” she said. Ria opened her eyes again, a smile appearing on her face.
“That’s it, smile, my beloved daughter,” Iva said.
“I’ll go,” Ria stepped back and looked at everyone. They all looked at her and nodded.
Ria raised one hand and waved it slightly, her chin trembling, but she composed herself and said, “Farewell... Everyone.”
Everyone smiled and replied, “Goodbye!” “Groonk!” “Flower!” “Take care.” “Goodbye!” “Bye, bye Vara.” “Bye, Sister.” “Ivara, goodbye.” “Thank you.” “Farewell.”
Ella held back her emotions, turned, and walked towards the moon. She touched it, and it accepted her, allowing her to enter.
Drip, Drip, Tears fell down, Madam covered her face. “R-radnor, I love her so much. We are so lucky to have this miraculous time to bid a proper goodbye—”
Muff! Radnor hugged his wife tightly, big tears streaming down his face. “Y-yes, w-we are the l-luckiest.”
Everyone gathered and embraced one another, even the monsters came forward to touch their hands and bodies, surrounding the moonstone. Their bodies emitted a pale light, revealing their inner memories of death totem. Flower girl also transformed back into its obsidian python shape and began to encircle everyone, coiling tightly to form a towering black figure. Flowers flew and adorned this structure, infusing it with life and spirit, creating a beautiful black tower.
Ripple, ripple, Ria walked on the vast black water, feeling its emptiness and loneliness. If it weren’t for the light that illuminated the floating flowers and petals, she wouldn’t have seen anything.
Ripple, ripple, never knew how much time passed. Finally, Ria arrived at the place she had longed for. She saw a white woman standing beside a young man peacefully sleeping on the water. He was the same as the one she knew, tiny, fragile, and tattered. The small ripples around his body were the only sign that he was still alive.
Ria approached the white woman and smiled at her. The woman was incredibly beautiful, with long hair flowing down to the river, adorned with white flowers. Fragments of petals floated around her, emitting a sweet fragrance.
She looked at Ria, smiled back, and took a flower from her hair, placing it in the bouquet Ria held. Then she gently rubbed Ria’s head. Her touched so familiar, warmth and tended like as a rain, a summer rain.
The white woman moved her lips, but no sound came out, only ripples forming on the water’s surface.
Ria nodded and said, “Yes, I will do, accept it.” Her chestnut eyes transformed into a golden hue. She raised her hand, revealing a transparent flower tattoo on her wrist.
Once again, the white woman spoke silently before turning into particles of light and slowly disappearing.
Ria watched until the light was completely gone and said to herself, “Ok, fighting, myself. You can do it.” Then she sat beside the man who slept peacefully on the water’s surface and gently called out, “Brother... Wake up.”
His eyes slowly opened, and he said, “Ah, Ria, brother sorry, the sound was so pleased made brother sleep again.”
“Hehe, the sun is already shining brightly. Birds are already flying out, searching for their food,” Ria said.
Rain smiled, pleased with Ria’s words. He sat up, looked around, and softly asked, “Are everyone all gone?”
“Um, they gave brother a lot, lot, lot of flowers,” Ria replied, handing him the bouquet.
“Thank you, Ria,” Rain said, accepting the flowers.
Ria spread her arms wide and said, “everyone bid brother a very, very good farewell.”
Rain looked at the flowers in his hand. “Um, and you...” he said in a low voice.
Ripple! Ria moved and sat beside him. “Nope, don’t be that sad. Ria will stay here with brother. As Ria said, Whatever place, Ria goes with brother.”
Rain smiled, sweet smiled. “Thank you.”
“See, a good smile like this suits brother more. Don’t cry like a baby again, okay?”
Rain’s mouth hung wide open, but then changed to a teasing smile. “What a troublesome girl.” Rain rubbed Ria’s hair.
“Ah! My hair, my hair is messy. Brother, stop it!” Ria exclaimed.
“No, this little girl is so mean, making this handsome and cool brother lose his composure and cry like a baby.”
“Brother, just cry by yourself. I’m not wrong. No, no, stop it. My hair is already tangled and looks like a bird's nest.”
“I will, until you say that this big bro is a superman.”
“Ok, ok, I will say it... brother is super mean.”
“Hahaha, thank you— Eh? What? Mean?”
“Blah, the best bubbly stone in the world.”
“What is that... I like it.”
“Hehehe, weird brother.”
“Hahaha, you little devil.”
“Help me tie my hair, okay?”
“Sure, absolutely.”
The moon once again began to shine its light, and its reflection glimmered on the surface. Soon, a small white dot with beautiful radiance began to appear from the depths of the dark water.